This invention relates generally to moldings, and particularly to a composite, convertible, laminable molding for use as railings, balustrades, parapets and other decorative as well as functional uses.
Decorative moldings have been used throughout the ages for various functional as well as decorative purposes, such as for railings, balustrades, parapets and other applications where they have been considered particularly appropriate and pleasing in appearance. In fact, the use of decorative moldings has been so wide and varied that the sizes, shapes, appearances of the moldings used have been numerous and limited only by the imagination of their creators. In the past, these moldings have been carved from wood in sizes and configurations according to the requirements of the user and in more recent times mass-produced in particular configurations and sizes for use by those whose tastes may coincide with the manufacturer's.
In recent years, developments have also been made in convenient metallic structures for railings, composite railings with wood and metal parts, as well as specific developments directed to methods and apparatus for attaching moldings to brackets such as for use in safety railings for stairwells. U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,819, issued to G. Laurent, shows stairway railings and the like which are fabricated from interlocking extruded metallic channel members. Elongated pairs of U-shaped elements are arranged to interlock on a slide-on or clip-on type of arrangement to form upper and lower railings. Balustrades are interconnected via tongue-and-groove attachments, and a cover cap is also snapped or slide-connected to the top. U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,381, issued to L. Blum et al, discloses an elongated wood member which is tongue-and-groove attached to an elongated mating metallic base member with screws being used to retain the sandwiched assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,374, issued to W. Thom, is of interest to the extent of its disclosure of an elongated rail cap which is tongue-and-groove attached to retaining posts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,356,392, issued to L. Blum et al, and 3,358,869, issued to E. W. Palmer et al are of general interest for their disclosure of plug-in type end caps for use with tubing or laminated railing structures.
Although these prior art patents are of interest and are probably successful for the particular purposes for which they were designed, it has been found desirable to advance beyond the moldings heretofore known and used and to develop molding structures comprised of a plurality of individual components which can be mass-produced and then assembled with some latitude in creativity by professionals and novices alike in constructing moldings for selective functional as well as aesthetic purposes.